The Federation of Governing Bodies of SA Schools has advised its member schools to be ready to allow parents to apply for places in schools the "traditional way" - by expecting queues and printing application forms. The federation issued the advisory as it remained concerned that the education department's online application system will crash next Tuesday, when parents will compete for spots in top schools for their children, said federation deputy director Jaco Deacon.The Gauteng department of education insists its newly launched online application system be used by parents to apply for Grade 1 and Grade 8 places.But the site crashed shortly after going live on Monday and remained offline all yesterday.The department was adamant that the site would be functioning today.Spokesman Oupa Bodibe said: "The department is confident that the online system will function optimally for the registration and application period for the 2017 admissions. Should there be a need for options these will be communicated."Parents are concerned because places in schools are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and it is unclear how places will be allocated if the system crashes.There have been frequent court cases between governing bodies, which have declared schools full or turned away pupils due to language differences - and the government, which wants pupils in schools.Rivonia Primary School grabbed the head lines in 2011, when it turned away a Grade 1 pupil, saying the school was full.Officials forced the school to accept the child, resulting in a court challenge which the school lost at the Constitutional Court.The online system chooses a school closest to the parents' home or work location.But Deacon asked: "What is the point of being forced to apply to an English school if you want your child to attend an Afrikaans one further away?"Bodibe said the department had started meetings about the process in 2014 ...